Many packaging applications use resealable containers to store or enclose various types of articles and materials. These packages may be used to store food products, non-food consumer goods, medical supplies, waste materials, and many other articles. Resealable packages having zipper closure mechanisms are convenient in that they can be closed and resealed after the initial opening to preserve the enclosed contents. Goods that are not used completely when the package is initially opened rely on the zipper closure to reclose the package and keep the remaining contents fresh. The need to locate a storage container for the unused portion of the products in the package is thus avoided. In some instances, providing products in resealable packages appreciably enhances the marketability of those products. Examples of consumable goods that are often packaged in packages, such as bags, with a zipper closure include potting soil, fertilizer, pet food, dog biscuits, vegetables, cereal, and many different foods edible by humans.
For some types of resealable packages, the opening and closing of the zipper closure is facilitated by a slider device that is mounted on the zipper closure. The slider device typically includes a separator or spreader-type structure at one end that opens or unmates the zipper closure mechanism when the slider device travels in a first direction along the zipper. The sidewalls of the slider device are configured so that the sidewalls engage the zipper mating profiles and progressively move them into engagement to close the resealable package when the slider device is moved along the zipper in a direction opposite the first direction.
Improvements in the design and manufacture of slider devices are desirable.